Elevator granary



Nova 11, 1941. G1. A. MEADE 2,262,190

ELEVATOR GRANARY Filed Feb. 28, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l fij G. A. MEADE ELEVATOR GRANARY Nbv. 11, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 28, 1940 In vemfor 6E0EGE AND/95W MEA A iiorneys Patented Nov. 11, 1941 ELEVATOR GRAN ARY George Andrew Meade, Tulsa, Okla, assignor of two-thirds to E. C. Hinkefint, John E. Kirkpatrick, T. Austin Gavin, and Wendell B. Barnes, Tulsa, Okla.

Application February 28, 1940, Serial No. 321,332

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a granary especially adapted for the successful storing of various kinds of grain, and is especially useful by persons engaged in raising of grain, so that an efficient storage for the grain may be had at a low cost while awaiting marketing, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which may be easily set up for operation as a permanent device or may be readily taken down and moved to another locality when desired and which will b extremely easy to fill with grain received from vehicles and also unloaded of the grain into vehicles, when desired, the means of loading and unloading of said de- Iice also being employed for turning the grain in the device at intervals during the storage periods of the grain.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a granary constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing another sid of the granary.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing how the grain turning means may be employed for removing grain from the device.

Figure 4 is a top plan view illustrating the device.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View showing the loading and unloading mechanism and whereby the latter may b employed for the turning of the grain in the device.

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating another form of this invention.

Figure '7 is a sectional View taken on the line 1-! of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing sectional interlocking strips for the formation of th bin or tank of the device.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating one of the cups of my endless conveyor.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a supporting structure preferably of skeleton formation and including supporting legs 6 connected by braces T. The braces are preferably arranged to connect with upper and lower portions of the legs and cross each other, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The

supporting structure 5 has mounted thereon a bin or tank 8 preferably of cylindrical shape and having a conical-shaped bottom 9 and a conical shaped top It], the latter being provided in the apex thereof with a suitable ventilator H. It is preferable that the vertical walls of the tank or bin be composed of interlocking sectional strips l2, as shown in Figure 8, and no claim is made therefor except for the advantage in that the sectional strips permit the bin or tank to be readily disassembled and assembled when d sired. It is to be understood that the supporting structure as well as the bin or tank are of metallic material.

A vertically arranged conduit l3 having perforations extends from the top it directly under the ventilator ll through th bottom 9 and has its lower end closed, as shown in Figure 5. Op crating in the conduit [3 is an endless conveyor [4 including spaced buckets l5 constructed en" tirely of rubber or may be of metallic construe tion with rubber coverings on the edges thereof. The conveyor is supported vertically in the conduit by upper and lower conveyor pulleys l6. A driving shaft ll journaled on the supporting structure 5 is connected with the lower conveyor pulley l 6 and may be driven by any type of power source so that the conveyor will travel in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 5 for the purpose of lifting grain from the lower end of the conduit to the upper end. The upper end of the conduit has a downwardly inclined conduit l8 connected thereto which leads outwardly of the tank or bin and extends downwardly on the exterior thereof and terminates in the form of a discharge nozzle l9. Arranged in a portion of the conduit I8 located within the tank or bin is a gate and a sliding door 2|. The gate 20 is for the purpose of closing the conduit l8 and the trap door is for the purpose of opening a portion of the conduit to the interior of the bin or tank. The top it directly above the trap door 2| and the gate 20 is provided with a weather-proof slidable door 22 and leading to this door is a ladder 23 arranged on the exterior of the bin or tank so that a person may readily reach the trap door 2i and gate 20 for the operation thereof by opening of the door 22.

Arranged on one side of the bin or tank slightly above the supporting structure 5 is a receiving hopper 24 including an inclined chute or conduit 25 which connects with the lower portion of the vertically arranged conduit l3 so that grain from vehicles may be readily unloaded into the hopper and gravitat into the lower end of the conduit upper end thereof for the purpose of turning the 7 grain to maintain the latter in proper condition during storage. With the trap door 2| closed and the gate 20 open and the doors 26 open the elevator or conveyor l4 may be employed for unloading grain from the bin or tank. The grain first gravitates into the conduit I3 and is taken up by the endless conveyor and dumped into the conduit [8 whence it gravitates to the discharge nozzle l9 and may be collected in a vehicle or some other device for shipment.

Also the tank or bin may be provided with a sliding door 21 connecting the interior of the bin or tank above the bottom 9 with the lower portion of the conduit l8 so that grain may be unloaded by gravitation if desired.

It is preferable that the bottom 9 be perforated, as shown at 28, and have thereover foraminous material 29. The perforations allow for the ventilation of the grain while in the bin or tank. The air may travel upwardly through the bottom and thence through the grain to the ventilator l I.

The vertically arranged conduit I3 is preferably reinforced by braces 39 connected thereto and with the vertical walls of the tank or bin.

A device of the character described in detail and. shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, provides an elevator type of granary which will be economical to manufacture and maintain in operation and may be readily set up for use or taken down when desiring to move it from one locality to another and will permit grain stored therein to be kept for a definite period of time without danger of spoiling due to the fact that the grain at any time desired may be readily turned and also is subject to a constant and thorough ventilation. A device of this kind will be found especially useful for farmers engaged in the raising of grain in that the grain when harvested can be stored with assurance against spoiling and can be easily unloaded therefrom as well as loaded therein and will be fireproof as well as rodent proof.

Referring to the form of my invention shown in Figures 6 and 7, the supporting structure as well as the construction of the tank or bin are in accordance with the other form of the invention as heretofore described. In this instance the supporting structure is indicated by the character 3| and the bin or tank by the character 32. The bottom 33 in this instance while of conical shape is inverted and the tank or bin is provided adjacent to its lower end upon one side with a receiving hopper 34 from which leads a vertically arranged conduit 35 arranged exteriorly of the tank or bin and connecting therewith through the top 35 by a conduit 36 connected with the upper end of the conduit 35. An endless conveyor 31 operates in the vertical conduit 35 and is similarly constructed to the conveyor 14 or may be of the spiral type so that grain discharged into the hopper from a vehicle can be elevated a the upper end thereof.

to the conduit 36 and gravitate therethrough into the tank or bin.

The bin or tank 32 is provided with a sliding gate 39 which connects the hopper 34 to the tank or bin just above the bottom 33 so that grain from the tank or bin may be admitted to the hopper when it is desired to turn the grain in the bin or tank, it being understood that the conveyor carries the grain from the hopper upwardly and discharges the same back into the tank or bin at The gate 39 is slidably mounted and is provided with a ratchet mechanism 40 so that the gate can be secured in partly open position to regulate the flow of grain by gravity from the tank or bin to the hopper 34.

An outlet door 4! is provided on the bin or tank above the bottom 33 for the discharge of grain from the bin or tank into a vehicle when desiring to unload the device of grain for marketing and other purposes.

The top 35' has a removable door 42 reached by a ladder 43 on the exterior of the bin or tank.

The doors or gates 26 referred to in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5, may be successfully operated from a point to one side of the tank or bin by operating rods 44.

It is to be understood that the bottom 33 may be perforated similar to the bottom 9 and have thereover foraminous material if desired.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a storage tank for grain including top, bottom and side walls, respectively, the bottom wall having ventilating openings therein, means supporting the tank in elevated position, a ventilator mounted on the top wall, a conduit extending upwardly through the bottom wall to the top wall and having a lower closed end depending from the bottom wall, a loading hopper communicating with said lower end of the conduit for introducing grain into said conduit, a discharge condit extending from the upper end of the first mentioned conduit outwardly through the side of the tank and downwardly along said side, said discharge conduit having a portion in said tank inclining outwardly and downwardly along said top wall, and a discharge end adjacent the bottom wall of the tank, a power driven endless conveyor in the first mentioned conduit extending from the lower to the upper end thereof for elevating grain from said lower end to said discharge conduit, a trap door in said portion of the discharge conduit for discharging grain therefrom back into said tank, a gate in said discharge conduit for blocking discharge of grain from the discharge end while discharging grain back into said tank, and means to establish communication between the bottom of the tank and the lower end of the first mentioned conduit whereby grain may be elevated from the bottom of the tank to said discharge conduit and discharged through said trap door back into said tank.

2. In combination, a storage tank for grain including top, bottom and side walls, respectively, the bottom wall having ventilating openings therein, means supporting the tank in elevated position, a ventilator mounted on the top wall, a conduit extending upwardly through the botto'm Wall to the top wall and having a lower closed end depending from the bottom wall, a loading hopper communicating with the lower end of the conduit for introducing grain into said conduit, a discharge conduit extending from the upper end of the first mentioned conduit outwardly through the side of the tank, said discharge conduit having a discharge end outside said tank and a portion in said tank inclining outwardly and downwardly along said top wall, a power driven endless conveyor in the first mentioned conduit extending from the lower to the upper end thereof for elevating grain from said lower end to said discharge conduit, means in said portion of the discharge conduit for opening the conduit to the tank to discharge grain therefrom back into said tank, a gate in said discharge conduit for blocking discharge of the grain from said discharge end of the conduit while discharging grain back into said tank, and means to establish communication between the bottom of the tank and the lower end of the first mentioned conduit whereby grain may be elevated from the bottom of the tank to said discharge conduit and discharged through the second mentioned means back into said tank.

GEORGE ANDREW MEADE. 

